This relates generally to wireless electronic devices and, more particularly, to testing of wireless electronic devices.
Wireless electronic devices typically include transceiver circuitry, antenna circuitry, and other radio-frequency circuitry that provide wireless communications capabilities. During testing, wireless electronic devices under test (DUTs) can exhibit different performance levels. For example, each wireless DUT in a group of DUTs can exhibit its own output power level, gain, frequency response, efficiency, linearity, dynamic range, downlink sensitivity, etc.
The performance of a wireless DUT can be measured using a radio-frequency (RF) test station. A radio-frequency test station typically includes a test host, a tester (i.e., a signal generator), and a test cell. The signal generator is connected to the test host. Connected in this way, the test host configures the signal generator to transmit downlink radio-frequency signals during test operations.
In conventional radio-frequency test arrangements, a wireless DUT having, for example, a cellular telephone transceiver is placed into the test cell. The DUT is connected to the test host via a control cable or a wireless waveguide or antenna system. A protocol-compliant communications link is established between the signal generator and the DUT (i.e., an active telephone call is established between the signal generator and the cellular telephone transceiver). Protocol-compliant testing has a tendency to drop calls between the DUT and tester when the tester output power level falls below the DUT's downlink sensitivity. Reestablishing the protocol-compliant connection in order to complete testing can add significant time and cost to the test process.
It would therefore be desirable to be able to provide ways for performing non-protocol-compliant testing.